Fragile Harts
by MaryFan1
Summary: Someone wants the Harts apart. Will they figure out who before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

"It's perfect." He said

"Well, it's not perfect but since you said he won't get a close look at her the differences shouldn't even be noticeable." the doctor replied

"No, the point is for him to get a fleeting glimpse but enough to make him doubt all he knows."

"You've been planning this for a long time haven't you?" the doctor asked

He smiled coldly, "YesI have and it's all finally coming together. I was even able to get some of her wardrobe copied."

"Well, my work here is done."

"Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor left and he turned to the woman, "Are you ready?"

"Yes." She replied

"Good, your first assignment will be given to you shortly."

"Why is this so important to you?" She asked

"I have an old score to settle and I've waited too long."

/

Jonathan and Jennifer lay sleeping in each others arms as the morning light streamed in their bedroom window signaling the beginning of a new day.

Jennifer stirred awake awakened her husband with a kiss, "Good Morning, Darling."

Jonathan smiled and pulled her close and she rested her head on his chest, "Good Morning. How did you sleep?"

A deep, throaty laugh escaped her mouth, "Fine, once we got to sleep."

"I can't help it that you are irresistible." He teased, "In fact, I think I need a proper start to my day."

She laughed again, "Jonathan, you have to get ready for work and I have a meeting with my editor which I will not be irresistible for if I don't get a shower."

A smile played on his lips, "Hey, great idea. We can shower together, you know, to conserve water."

She shook her head, smiling "You are impossible."

"I know, but you love me anyway." He said as they got out of bed

/

Jonathan and Jennifer entered the kitchen greeted by their friend and houseman, Max, cooking breakfast with Freeway at his feet

"Morning, Mr. H, Mrs. H."

"Morning, Max." They said in unison

"Max, whatever you are cooking smells terrific." Jonathan said as they took their seats at the table

"Eggs Florentine with Max's special touch." He brought the plates over, "Come on, Freeway, time for your morning constitution." He left the kitchen, Freeway in toe

"Hmm...delicious." Jennifer said taking a bite

"Darling, what time is your meeting with Margo?"

"I'm meeting her for lunch, remember, at Rapisardi's."

"Oh, I was hoping to have lunch with you." He said with a sly grin

"Well, just think how much better dinner will be." She purred

/

Since Jennifer wasn't able to have lunch with him Jonathan took Mike Dodson up an invitation and they met at Chasen's. One his way back to the office when he was stopped at a light he saw something he never expected to see: Jennifer outside L'Orangerie with another man.

_What? She's supposed to be on the other side of town at Rapisardi's with Margo_

Then it only got worse...she kissed him

Jonathan shook his head as if to wake himself up from a dream

_There must be some mistake...some explanation _

He looked again and she was walking away from the man.

He made it back to the office but was in some sort of fog the rest of the day and on his way home. He knew there had to be an explanation. He tried to shake it off as he entered the house to find Jennifer at the desk, presumably working on the notes and suggestions her editor gave her.

She looked up and smiled, "Hello, Darling." She got up to greet him with a kiss

He smiled wearily, "Hi."

She looked at him, noting the lines of worry across his brow, "Are you alright? How was the office?"

"Oh fine, the Paxton Electronics merger isn't going as smoothly as I'd like."

She put her arms around him, "Well, your home now and you can relax. Max is almost ready with dinner. I'm not sure what it is. He wanted to surprise us."

He looked at her for a moment, this woman who he loved more than anything, with that same love reflected in her autumn eyes. He had to be wrong, "That sounds good." He said glancing over her shoulder at the desk, "So, working on the changes Margo suggested?"

"Hmm...since this afternoon." Jennifer replied

"And you had lunch at Rapisardi;s?" He asked

"Yes, I told you that this morning." She wondered why he seemed to be acting so peculiar, "You're not really mad that I couldn't have lunch with you are you?"

He shook his head, "No, of course not." He assured her, "Just wondered if the food was still as good. It's been a while since we've eaten there."

She wasn't quite sure she believed him, something seemed to be bothering him, but he wouldn't tell her until he was ready, "Oh, it was terrific."

"Dinner's on!" They heard Max call from the kitchen and Jonathan forced the thoughts from his mind as they joined him

That night he lay awake watching Jennifer sleep. He never ceased to be amazed by her beauty and one of his favorite things was to watch her sleeping. Her face untroubled as a shaft of moonlight fell across it.

_What am I doing? _He thought _I know she would never lie to me or be unfaithful. It was just someone who looked like her...an awful lot like her _

She stirred in her sleep and moved closer to him resting her head on his chest. He inhaled her scent and looked down at the contended smile forming on her lips as she snuggled into him and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Finally he was able to drift off to sleep, hoping and praying he was wrong.

He was wrong, wasn't he? He didn't see his loving wife in the arms of another man.

As he banished the thought from his mind Jennifer sighed again in her sleep and the nagging doubts finally disappeared.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A week had passed and Jonathan had practically forgotten about the whole thing. He was knee deep in the acquisition of Paxton Electronics which was still not going as smoothly as he had hoped. He was handling more of the details himself that would have normally been delegated but that seemed to be the only thing that appeased Paxton's executives. As a result, he was working longer and spending less time with Jennifer. But he resolutely decided to take a long weekend with her at the cabin. It was their favorite spot for a quiet get away, peaceful, secluded, serene. It was late Thursday and he headed out bidding Deanne, his secretary, a good weekend and making her swear a solemn oath not to contact him unless it was a dire emergency. The Paxton deal was settled for the moment and could wait until Monday.

"Have a nice weekend, Mr. Hart." Deanne said, knowing how much her boss needed the time away, "And give Mrs. Hart my best."

"I will Deanne." He said with a smile and a wink, "And don't give my number out to anyone. Only you and Stanley know how to get in touch, okay?"

"Of course." She said

"See you Monday." He called as he headed to the elevator

Jonathan walked to the yellow Mercedes in his reserved spot, got in and headed out of the garage. Jennifer was at a lecture at the library at UCLA on Ancient Egypt, one of her favorite subjects and would be home later. He planned to have a nice bottle of Chateau St. Clair and bubble bath ready for both of them. Just thinking about her he could feel the tension leave his body and a smile formed on his face. He stopped at La Cachette to pick up a loaf of their famous bread to go along with the wine and that's when it happened again. He noticed a woman sitting at a table on the far side of the restaurant that he knew had to be Jennifer and yet again she was cozy with another man.

_What the hell is going on here? We come here all the time. They know us. _

He knew he couldn't make a scene so he quietly left and drove home. Max was with a lady friend so he was alone with his thoughts. Suddenly he thought he must be losing his mind and thoughts of bubble baths and wine were long gone. He poured himself a drink and sat at the bar trying to make sense of it all. _She isn't doing this. She wouldn't, we love each other. There has to be another explanation. She has a twin all of a sudden. _He was still nursing his scotch when Jennifer breezed in.

She put her purse and notepad down on the credenza and joined him, "Hello, Darling." She approached him and kissed his cheek, "Boy, am I ready for our long weekend."

"Hmm." He muttered

She looked at him, he was drinking scotch, which he rarely drank, usually brandy, "Are you alright, Darling? More bad news on the Paxton deal?" She knew it had been weighing on him

He shook his head, still not looking at her, "No, just tired, I guess."

She moved behind him and began to massage his shoulders, noting the tension, "You are tense, Jonathan. Maybe we should soak in a hot tub and let the worries of the day melt away." She kissed the back of his neck

He pulled away slightly, "No thanks, I think I'm going to turn in." He got up and headed out of the room

She stood there unsure of what to make of her husband's odd behavior, "Alright, I'll be up in a minute."

She poured herself a brandy and sat on the sofa contemplating what had transpired. She had never known Jonathan to let work bother him like this. _That's what it has to be. He's just going through a rough patch and once we get up to the cabin and have some time to relax he'll be back to his old self. _After about twenty minutes she headed upstairs and when she entered the bedroom it was dark and Jonathan was asleep, facing the door. She quietly changed and got in bed looking at him with his back to her. _Darling, whatever is wrong, I'm here for you. I love you. _She resisted the urge to kiss him and turned over and tried to go to sleep.

/

The next morning Jonathan was just as quiet and the drive, which usually passed quickly, seem to drag with the silence. When they arrived it was almost lunch time so Jennifer unpacked the food they had brought and began to put together a salad. Jonathan took their bags to the bedroom and returned a few minutes later.

"Lunch is ready, Darling." She said trying to keep her tone normal, putting the plates on the table

He sat at the table and began to eat. She brought over his glass of water then joined him, "I guess we should go into town to get a few things we might have forgotten."

"We're only here for three days. I think we have everything we need." He replied

"Alright then, we can take a walk after we eat, take in the smog free air." She suggested with a smile

He maide no reply, only continued eating.

When they were finished Jennifer took their plates to the sink, "Why don't we go ahead and take that walk. The dishes can wait."

"If you don't mind, I think I'll go by myself." He said

She looked at him, her eyes belying hurt and confusion, "Jonathan, I thought we came up here to spend some time together, away from everything. But all you seem to want to do is get away from me."

He hated that look, hated seeing her upset, but he just didn't know what to do, "I'm sorry, I just need some time alone. Please."

"Alright." She managed and turned back to sink to wash the plates. He left without another word or noticing the tear that made it's way down her cheek

Alone walking one of the trails Jonathan started beating himself up. He should just tell Jennifer what's been happening. Tell her he's seen her or someone who looks like her. If it was her, maybe she would be honest about it finally and if it wasn't, they could figure it out together, just like always. He sat on a bench for a moment then got up and made his way back to the cabin to find Jennifer unpacking in the bedroom, putting their clothes in the dresser.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "I'm sorry Darling."

She wrapped her arms around his, "I know. I just wish you would talk to me."

"I know and I should have said something before because there is something going on I need to tell you about." He told her

She turned around and looked him in the eye, "Then tell me."

He paused for a moment, wanting the words to come out right, then took a deep breath, "Jennifer, twice in the past couple of weeks when you've told me you were going to be somewhere, I've seen you somewhere else and..."

"And what, Jonathan?" She looked at him puzzled

"And you were with another man."

It took a minute to take in what he said and what it appeared he was implying, "Jonathan, are you suggesting...you really think I've been..." She trailed off

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

The look in her eyes was like a knife to his heart. How could he tell her what he had been thinking? He didn't want to hurt her anymore.

"Jonathan..." She repeated

"Darling, I didn't know what to think." He said, "I saw someone that looked like you cozy with another man. I was going crazy."

"Then why didn't you tell me right away?" She asked, "We've always told each other everything."

He sighed, "I know, but this was something that had never happened before."

She pulled away from him and sat on the bed, "Jonathan, you know I would never do anything like that. How could you have doubted me?"

He leaned back against the dresser, looking down, ashamed and unable to meet her eyes, "I don't know." he said quietly then finally brought his tearful eyes up to meet hers, "Jennifer, you are my life. I could lose Hart Industries and it would be a difficult adjustment but if I lost you I don't know if I could go on. For the first time in my life I felt confused, out of control and unsure of things."

She had never seen him so vulnerable. He was normally a very confident man, sure of himself, but to admit and expose himself this way, she began to understand his anguish. She got up and went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, "My Darling, I love you and I'm not going anywhere. We can figure this out together, like we always do."

He smiled, tightening his arms around her as if he was afraid she would disappear, despite what she had said, "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Don't you remember?" She asked, "You asked me to marry you after two days."

"And you said yes right away."

"Ah, but what else could I do when we had managed to survive multiple attempts on our lives?" She replied, "It was like fate tapped me on the shoulder."

"And here I thought I was irresistible." He joked

"You are." She leaned in and kissed him

He responded by guiding her over to the bed

She protested, albeit halfheartedly, "Darling, as irresistible as you, uh, are, don't we need to talk about this?"

He nuzzled her neck, "I thought we had."

She pushed away slightly, "No, I mean, try to figure out what exactly is going on?"

He continued to nuzzle her, "We can do that when we're done."

"But Jonathan..." She trailed off

"But what?" He asked moving to the other side of her neck

"Damned if I know." She said as they fell back on the bed

/

Lying in bed, tangled in the sheets, Jennifer rested her head on his chest while he ran his hand up and down her arm. They said nothing and the only other sound besides their breathing that she could hear was the steady beat of his heart.

Jonathan kissed her head and finally broke the silence, "Penny for your thoughts?"

She lifted her head and looked at him, "You first." She said, "Tell me what happened." She folded her arms under her chin to prop it up, continuing to meet his eyes

He sighed heavily but he knew they needed to talk about it, he just hated to ruin a peaceful moment, "Alright, the day you were supposed to meet Margo I saw you outside L'Orangerie with another man and you kissed him...I mean whoever she was kissed him."

"Did she really look that much like me?" She asked

"Yes, I was stopped at the light long enough and from that distance very much so." He informed her

She smiled softly, encouraging him, "Go on."

Then the other night when you said you were at UCLA for the lecture I stopped by La Cachette to pick up some bread to have with a bottle of Chateau St. Clair and I saw her again with the same man. At least I think it was the same man, his back was to me. She was very cozy with him. She even had on the same outfit as one of yours, both times I think."

"When I came home did you notice if I was wearing what she was?" Jennifer asked

He shook his head, "I didn't even notice, I was so upset."

She reached up and caressed his cheek then brushed the hair off his forehead, "Do you have any idea what this is about?"

"No, it could be a coincidence. They say everyone has a twin. But that seems too easy."

"You think it's another plot to break us up?" She asked, "But why?"

"Well, chances are it's not another bet on our marriage." He said half joking

Jennifer's expression became pensive for a moment, "Do you think it could be Fred Brunis? Revenge maybe?"

He shook his head again, "No, he's in prison, most likely for life. Besides, that wasn't personal, Darling. He never would have done it except for the money. He held no personal grudge."

"It sure seemed personal then." She replied, "So what do we do?"

He tightened his arms around her, "We enjoy the rest of this weekend. Then we go home and bring in the reinforcements."

She laughed slightly, "Max."

"And Stanley." He said, "He can do some digging. But we want as few people as possible involved until we know what and who we're dealing with."

She nodded and smiled, "I love you, always."

He leaned in and kissed her, "I love you, too."

/

Sunday evening they arrived home to find a nervous Max meeting them at the door.

"Mr. H, Mrs. H, boy am I glad you're home." He said

"What's the matter, Max?" Jennifer asked

"Something really weird is going on." He explained, "I was out running errands yesterday and I thought I saw Mrs. H with another man. I mean it looked just like you."

Jonathan and Jennifer exchanged a look, "Max, there is something we need to talk to you about."

"You mean you know about this?" He asked

"Let's go in the kitchen." He gestured

They sat at the table and Jonathan began to explain, "A couple of weeks ago I saw a woman outside L'Orangerie that looked just like Jennifer and she was with another man."

"And you think it's not just a coincidence, don't ya, Mr. H?"

Jonathan nodded then rubbed his chin, "It's definitely more than a coincidence."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"Well, we've been talking about it all weekend and on the way back." Jonathan explained, "And given we have no idea who is behind this or why, we really don't know what reaction they're wanting."

Jennifer nodded in agreement, "We assume that whoever this is wants us to break up. But it could be an elaborate scheme just to make Jonathan think he's going crazy."

"First thing tomorrow I'm going to have Stanley look into all our current projects to see if anything seems strange. You know, the dirt that's hard to find on the companies we outbid."

"Darling, I thought you said this probably wasn't about work."

"It probably isn't but where else do we start?"

/

Monday morning Stanely Friesen got right to work on his research and by mid afternoon he reported what he found to Jonathan. Thorough with a capital T, Jonathan had to prod him to get to the point.

"Mr. Hart, there isn't anything that stands out. The other companies we've recently outbid, Galaxy Global checks out, John Madsen, the CEO is about as straight as they come, big philanthropist. He's not known for being the least bit cutthroat or to hold a grudge."

Jonathan nodded, he knew John by reputation and this wasn't something he would do, "What else?"

"Well, the only company that seems to be a little hard to find much on is M.E Corp." He went on, "They seemed to pop up recently and the CEO seems to be some mysterious overseas operator, Martin Ellis."

"Did you find anything on him?"

"Not yet, I'm still checking." Stanley said, "I'll let you know as soon I find out anything."

"Thanks, Stanley. That'll be all for now." Jonathan said and Stanley exited his office

Jonathan sat there for a moment and if his hunch was right, this was even more personal than he thought.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Their plan was set in motion. If someone wanted him to go crazy that's what they would give them. He pulled into the hotel far enough outside of town that no one would find him. He registered under a fake name and went to the room. He flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He missed her already and he hoped this plan worked. He hadn't told her who he thought was behind this. He didn't want to worry her if it was unnecessary. He picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"Sherlock?" She said upon answering

"Watson?" He replied

"Are you alright, Darling?" She asked softly

He sighed heavily, "Well, except for missing you like crazy, I'm fine."

"How long do we have to do this?"

"Not long, sweetheart, I hope." He assured her, "If we can convince them I'm having some sort of mental breakdown it might force their hand."

"When can I see you?"

"In a few days." He said, "Remember, I'm checked into a facility up near Pasadena for exhaustion, hallucinations, whatever."

"I'm afraid I may not be able to pull of this acting job." She replied

"Hey, we've done it before." He reminded her, "Remember L'Orangerie."

"Yes, but we were together. I just hope I can convince everyone that you've gone loco." She said

"I'm sure you can. You convinced everyone I was dead once, remember?"

She shuddered, "I don't like to think about that."

"I know, Darling." he replied, "Well, we probably don't need to stay on the phone too long. Is everything set for the meeting?"

"Yes, Deanne and Stanley have been informed and Max knows how to handle any phone calls we get at home."

"Well, don't go into too much detail at the meeting." He said, "Just enough to lend credibility."

"Alright." She said the wariness evident in her voice

"Well, I think we should hang up now. We don't want to take too many chances." He reminded her, "And Darling..."

"Yes?" She said

"I love you, always."

She sighed, "And I love you, more than life."

/

The next day the "emergency" meeting of the Hart Industry Board was called. The only ones besides Max who were in on this little stunt were Deanne, Jonathan's long time executive assistant and Stanley Friesen, his most loyal and trusted employee.

The three of them collected themselves before entering the board room, "Are you alright, Mrs. Hart?" Deanne asked

"I'm fine, Deanne." She assured her

The doors opened and all six men stood, "Hello, gentlemen." Jennifer said, "Deanne will be making copies of all the documents we are signing today and Stanley, well, he's always been close to Jonathan and I wanted him here."

"Jennifer." Ted Maslow stepped forward, "We just want you to know that we are here to help in any way we can while Jonathan is...away." He could find no other way to put it

She turned it on and smiled weakly, "Thank you, Ted."

"Jennifer, we have documents ready for your signature turning over the decision making power to Jack Fulton in Jonathan's absence, as you requested." Jeremy Fielding informed her

"Well, then I guess we should get right to this, should we?" She asked

"Before we do." Ted spoke, "How is Jonathan, really?"

She sighed heavily, "Not well, I'm afraid." She said playing it up, "He's having terrible hallucinations and panic attacks."

"I understand he's at a place in Pasadena."

"Yes, we thought it best if he went somewhere away from the prying eyes of the press." She said, "He's having a hard enough time as it is."

"Of course." Ted replied

She signed all the necessary papers and handed them Deanne, "I'll be right back, Mrs. Hart."

"I suppose that takes care of everything for now, gentlemen. We...I am trusting you all to make good decision in Jonathan's absence. I don't want to see everything he has worked for jeopardized and I will be expecting regular updates on what is going on."

"Don't worry, Jennifer." Jeremy assured her, "We know Jack will honor Jonathan's wishes as to how to handle things."

She stood up to leave, "Thank you. I'll be in touch." as she headed for the door Deanne came back in

"Here you are." She said, "Will there be anything else, Mrs. Hart?"

"Yes, will you and Mr. Friesen meet me in Mr. Hart's office. There are a few things we need to go over."

"Yes, Mrs. Hart."

Back in Jonathan''s office they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"You think they bought it, Mrs. Hart?" Stanley asked

"I sure hope so, Stanley."

"You don't think one of them is behind this, do you, Mrs. Hart?" Deanne asked

"I don't think so, but we have to keep them in the dark to be convincing, anyway." Jennifer replied, "I suspect Jonathan has an idea who it is but won't tell me. He has his reasons, I guess, but that irritates me. But he probably wants to be absolutely sure."

"Well, anything you need at all, we're here." Stanley assured her

She smiled, "Thank you, both. We couldn't pull this off without you."

/

A few days later he returned to his hotel room from a quick run to the store for some essentials. He opened the door and gasped. She was lying in his bed with nothing on but a flimsy negligee.

"Hello, Sailor." She said with a smile

"Hello." He returned her smile but his expression quickly changed, "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She asked, "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to join me?"

"Jennifer, you could have been followed. We had a plan, for Christ sakes." His irritated tone clearly evident

"I wasn't followed." she assured him, "And I missed you, Darling."

He sighed and finally joined her in bed, pulling her into his arms "I missed you, too, like crazy." He said, "But we have to be careful."

She rested her head on his chest, relishing the closeness, "I'm sorry. I just couldn't take it anymore."

"Well, neither can I but you'll have to be careful leaving, too." He said, "We don't know who is doing what."

She nodded, "Hmm."

"So, how good of an actress are you?" He asked, "Is everyone buying the 'Johnathan's gone off the dee end bit?"

"She kissed his chest where his shirt was unbuttoned, "So far, I think they do."

He kissed her head, "Good. I had no doubt you could do it."

"Jonathan, are you going to tell me who you think is behind this?" She asked bluntly

"What makes you think I have any idea?" He asked

"Because I know you." She replied, "And I don't like being kept in the dark if you do."

"Darling, I really don't have all the pieces yet. But when I do, you'll know. Just trust me on this." He didn't want to frighten her with his suspicions just yet

She pulled back and looked at him, "You know I do."

He smiled and kissed her, "So, since you are here, whatever shall we do?"

She laughed a deep, throaty laugh, "I'm sure we can find some way to pass the time."


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning they lay in each others arms, neither wanting to get up, knowing she'd have to leave. They'd been apart before for many reasons: Jennifer's book tour several years ago, Jonathan's out of town meetings when Jennifer couldn't accompany him, but this was different. Someone wanted something from them, possibly to harm them. They worried for each others safety.

He gently rubbed her back, dropping a kiss into her hair, "Darling," He whispered, "It's time."

Her head rested on his chest and she could the slow, steady beat of his heart, "I know." She kissed his chest

"I promise it won't be long." He said

She sighed heavily, "Jonathan, please tell me what you think is going on. I don't like this."

His brow furrowed, he didn't want to but his wife would only put up with this for so long, "I don't want to scare you, Darling."

She pulled back and looked at him, "I'm more worried not knowing, Jonathan."

"Alright." He relented, "I'm pretty sure it's Elliot."

"Elliot Manning?" She question

"Yes, I have Stanley working on it. There is a mysterious company who has been competing with us for bids on contracts. I think Elliot is behind it."

"But why try to make you go crazy or break us up?" She asked

"Because he wants control of Hart Industries and in his twisted mind if he can break us up, you'll be his again."

"Oh my god." She breathed out and snuggled back into him

He held her tighter, "Sweetheart, I won't let anything happen. We'll put an end to this as soon as possible."

"How?"

"By doing this." He said, "Maybe it will smoke him out."

"Darling, Elliot is clever and isn't about to let himself get caught."

"Yes, but he's not in his right mind, as if he ever was." He said sarcastically, "We have logic on our side."

"But how can we know what he'll do if he's so unpredictable?"

"Trust me." He said, "Now, it's time for you to go back home."

She looked up at him again, "Only if you come with me and we end this."

"Jennifer, we have to keep this up." he insisted, "Now please, just go home, Darling."

Her eyes conveyed not only her fear but her anger, "I don't like this." She said but nevertheless got up and dressed then returned to the bed, "I don't like this one bit."

"I know and I don't either." He pulled her to him, "I love you."

"I love you, too." She reluctantly pulled away

"Be careful when you leave to make sure you aren't followed and call me from the private line when you get home."

She blew him a kiss and reluctantly left. He watched from the window of his motel room to see that she got into her car safely. She drove away and her mind was a jumbled mess. She was trying to keep her eyes firmly on the road when it happened.

"Hello, Jennifer."

She almost lost control of the car when she saw him in the rear view mirror, swerving off to the shoulder of the road, "Oh my god, Elliot. What they hell are you doing?"

He pulled out a gun, "Taking what's mine."

"You're completely mad." She said half angry, half scared, "You'll never get away with this."

"We'll see." He said, "Now drive!" He put the gun up to her neck

"Where?"

"Just pull out and I'll tell you."

"How did you know where I was." She asked pulling out

"I have my ways." He said, "How do you think I knew where you were so my friend could make Jonathan think he was going crazy or that you were becoming less than the devoted wife."

"What do you want?" She asked

"You." He said, "And Hart Industries."

"What makes you think you can have either." She said, "Elliot, I don't love you. I love my husband."

"Shut up!" He said, "And he won't be your husband for long."

"What are you talking about?" She asked as a sick feeling crept over her

He looked at his watch, "Just about now my plan should be working. But don't worry you'll be a wealthy widow and turn it all over to me. But I will make sure you continue to live in the manner to which you've become accustomed."

"You really are crazy." She said trying to concentrate on the road

"Just shut up and drive." He said, "Turn right up ahead."

/

They arrived a short while later at his compound, a place out of sight from any road. He locked her up in a bedroom and went to check on the rest of his twisted plan.

"Sir, there seems to be no sign of Jonathan Hart." Darius, his henchman told him

"What do you mean?"

"He left the hotel, Sir." He told him, "The plan was not executed. He could be anywhere. He could know everything."

"Damn it!" He pounded his fist into the wall leaving a sizable mark, "You've let me down, Darius. I'll have to deal with you but later. See if you an redeem yourself and find out where he is."

In the meantime Jennifer was desperately trying to find a way out. The windows were nailed shut and the door locked from the outside. She heard a sound coming from outside and went to the window and pulled back the drapes, relief washing over her, _Jonathan._

"Let me in." He said

"I can't." She made a gesture that the windows were nailed shut

"See if you can find something to pry it loose."

She looked around, doubtful that Elliot would be so dumb as to leave anything in there that could help her escape. She went into the adjoining bathroom and found a metal nail file. It was probably not strong enough but she tried to no avail.

"Can you just get that lamp over there and bust the window?" He asked

"Elliot will hear it." She feared

"If he does, we'll deal with it. I can't get in any other way."

She took the lamp and was able to bust it open, helping Jonathan inside, "Darling." She said as he pulled her close, "How did you find me so quickly?"

"You think I'd just let you drive around by yourself after everything that happened?" He asked, "I had a tracking chip put in the car. I knew where you were all the time."

She was momentarily irritated at being monitored like that but how grateful she was for her genius husband, "What are we going to do?"

"Well, why don't we go out the way I came in?" He said, "Then we can surprise Elliot ourselves. I've also contacted Lt. Gray. Hershel was more than happy to help."

"Alright." She said and they quietly left through the broken window and met driving quietly into the compound

"Jonathan, Jennifer." He said, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Jonathan said, "Look, you better leave your car here. We can walk up the road."

"Jonathan, why don't you go home. Let me take care of this."

"No, I want to see him myself. He's not getting off that easy."

"Now don't do anything stupid." Gray told him, "Okay?"

"I won't but that sick bastard is going to face me."

/

Elliot went up to the room and unlocked the door only to find it empty and the window busted.

"Damn!" He said again and looked out the window but saw nothing then headed back downstairs

The door flew open, "Police!" Gray busted in with Jonathan and Jennifer behind him

"Well, well well. What can I do for you officer." He smirked

"You can put your hands up." He ordered

"Jonathan, Jennifer. What is this all about?" He asked innocently as Gray put handcuffs on him

"You know what this is about." He said, "You abducted my wife and have been playing games with us for weeks. But it's over Manning. It's over."

"It'll never be over Jonathan." He said with a blood curdling smile as Gray led him out the door, "Not until I have what's mine."

Jonathan looked at Jennifer, "Are you sure you're alright, Darling?" He pulled her close

She relaxed into him, "I'm alright." She pulled back, "Can we get out of here?"

He smiled, "Yeah, we'll have to meet Hershel at the station and we need to call Max."

They walked out and saw Elliot being put in the police car, "What makes someone do something like that, Darling?" She asked

He sighed, putting his arm around her, "I don't know." He said, "Greed and revenge can make people crazy I suppose and he's always felt I stole you from him."

She looked at him, "You didn't steal me from anyone. You swept me off my feet. All those years ago in a London hotel bar."

He pulled her close, "The only thing I ever picked up in a bar besides the tab." He smiled again

"That's what you think." She said with a wink, "I picked you up." She walked ahead of him

He followed behind her, "Oh no, that's not how it happened at all. I let you pick me up." He continued as they reached the car

"Jonathan." She turned back to him, "I simply cannot allow you to continue living on a completely false assumption

"Get in." He said with a smile

THE END


End file.
